Hello. I'm a college kid with little to no money but I've been looking to check out gear that I may be able to purchase in the future. Right now all I have is a Line 6 Spider IV 75watt practice amp, but I have a Digitech rp355 processor that I really enjoy fiddling around with.
I have two things in mind right now: a new guitar or a new amp.

My main (only one I ever use) guitar is a Schecter Hellraiser C-7, I love it. But I'd really like to have a good 6 string guitar so I can write in different tunings and whatnot. I've been looking online at the Sterling by Music Man JP100D, and that seems like something I could acquire and would really like, since I'd love to have a 6 string guitar with passive pickups (it has DiMarzio Liquifire and Crunch Lab pickups). I absolutely love the look of the guitar as well. I also like the look and have heard good things about the Parker PDF series.

I mainly play metal but I like to use a good number of different tones. I like playing music like Between The Buried And Me, Dream Theater, Protest The Hero, Born of Osiris, some Djent, etc. Basically I want an amp that can allow me to have a variety of tones. I don't have nearly enough money for an Axe FX or something like that, but I'm not really sure where to look for half stacks/cabs and heads. I've checked out the Line 6 HD150 150watt and 4x12, but other than that I don't really know. Any advice on that one? I'd like to have an amp that can be sufficiently loud as well as keep a good tone while playing gigs, since I'm going to be in a band in the near future.

All in all, I'm looking for some amps/cabs/half stacks/etc. that can have a good metal tone as well as some variety for preferably under $1000, but if they're a little over that's fine.
Also if anyone has suggestions for guitars with passive pickups around the same range, or comments about the JP100D or Parker PDF, that would be much appreciated. Thank you.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by willT08

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowSoonisNow

How was Confucius death metal?

You've clearly never read any Confuscius.

As I wait on the edge of the earth,
I can see the walls being torn down again
Only to be rebuilt in another name,
On a different day

I'm only going to get one or the other, not both. So roughly $1000 for an amp or a guitar.

Definitely spend it on the amp then. I'd actually recommend my amp if you're looking for variety, EVH 5150 III 50 watt. If you can find the 100 watt version in your budget then that's even better because of the shared channel one and two. This is only bothersome if you need way more gain on channel two than you can handle with channel one in live situation though. Definitely check it out if you're unfamiliar.

If you have any guitar shops locally that have enough variety you should just take your schecter and try a few out, do some A/B'ing.

__________________"Air created the greenness. And once you've got something, that leads to otherness." - Karl Pilkington.

Definitely spend it on the amp then. I'd actually recommend my amp if you're looking for variety, EVH 5150 III 50 watt. If you can find the 100 watt version in your budget then that's even better because of the shared channel one and two. This is only bothersome if you need way more gain on channel two than you can handle with channel one in live situation though. Definitely check it out if you're unfamiliar.

If you have any guitar shops locally that have enough variety you should just take your schecter and try a few out, do some A/B'ing.

Okay, I'll look that one up. Would you recommend getting the corresponding cab with the head? I'd prefer to be able to get a half stack head/cab package, but if not, then where should I be looking for cabs?

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by willT08

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowSoonisNow

How was Confucius death metal?

You've clearly never read any Confuscius.

As I wait on the edge of the earth,
I can see the walls being torn down again
Only to be rebuilt in another name,
On a different day

I'm looking at things and I'm almost thinking I want to get a Line 6 half stack. The one I mentioned looks alright, and the Spider Valve HD100 MKII looks pretty sweet, although that's around $1500. If I got an FBV Shortboard with it then I'd be quite happy with that.

Does anyone have comments about Line 6 amps like this? I like my Spider IV.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by willT08

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowSoonisNow

How was Confucius death metal?

You've clearly never read any Confuscius.

As I wait on the edge of the earth,
I can see the walls being torn down again
Only to be rebuilt in another name,
On a different day

Don't get the hd150 spider4. You are currently have a spider 4 75. that wouldn't be an upgrade. I would recommend getting a flextone 3 for solid state modeling WAY better than the spider series. The flextone is basically a what you see what you get vetta. OR a hd147 with a 4x12. both amps used to be going really cheap but are on the rise.

Don't get the hd150 spider4. You are currently have a spider 4 75. that wouldn't be an upgrade. I would recommend getting a flextone 3 for solid state modeling WAY better than the spider series. The flextone is basically a what you see what you get vetta. OR a hd147 with a 4x12. both amps used to be going really cheap but are on the rise.

The hd147 looks so beautiful, and people's reviews of them seem to be great
Is 300Watts necessary though? It probably couldn't hurt to have the capability, since I'm hoping to be able to play some gigs, and I'd want this amp to be mainly for gigging.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by willT08

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowSoonisNow

How was Confucius death metal?

You've clearly never read any Confuscius.

As I wait on the edge of the earth,
I can see the walls being torn down again
Only to be rebuilt in another name,
On a different day

I'm looking at things and I'm almost thinking I want to get a Line 6 half stack. The one I mentioned looks alright, and the Spider Valve HD100 MKII looks pretty sweet, although that's around $1500. If I got an FBV Shortboard with it then I'd be quite happy with that.

Does anyone have comments about Line 6 amps like this? I like my Spider IV.

I haven't really tried any yet, the guitar stores around my area have a really thin selection I'm not really sure where to go to try out amps where I live... I just want suggestions at this time basically so I can have general ideas of what to look for if the stores around me get new gear, or if I go someplace I don't usually go.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by willT08

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowSoonisNow

How was Confucius death metal?

You've clearly never read any Confuscius.

As I wait on the edge of the earth,
I can see the walls being torn down again
Only to be rebuilt in another name,
On a different day

If you can, find a bigger store with a big selection of amps to try. Make a day of it. You may be surprised at what you like and don't like. And with $1000, I'm pretty sure you're not gonna walk out with a spider.

If you can, find a bigger store with a big selection of amps to try. Make a day of it. You may be surprised at what you like and don't like. And with $1000, I'm pretty sure you're not gonna walk out with a spider.

I have my eye set on trying the Line 6 HD147. It's not a spider and I would like having a multitude of effects. I'll be trying everything I can though.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by willT08

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowSoonisNow

How was Confucius death metal?

You've clearly never read any Confuscius.

As I wait on the edge of the earth,
I can see the walls being torn down again
Only to be rebuilt in another name,
On a different day

If you can, find a bigger store with a big selection of amps to try. Make a day of it. You may be surprised at what you like and don't like. And with $1000, I'm pretty sure you're not gonna walk out with a spider.

I have my eye set on trying the Line 6 HD147. It's not a spider and I would like having a multitude of effects. I'll be trying everything I can though.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by willT08

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowSoonisNow

How was Confucius death metal?

You've clearly never read any Confuscius.

As I wait on the edge of the earth,
I can see the walls being torn down again
Only to be rebuilt in another name,
On a different day

I have my eye set on trying the Line 6 HD147. It's not a spider and I would like having a multitude of effects. I'll be trying everything I can though.

So you post this asking us and zip claim you have your eye on something that you seem dead set on but haven't tried nor have you tried anything else in your price range. If you want to do you do and buy what, don't waste everyone's time.

You would likely be wayyy well off with a peavey vypyr 60 or 120 and the larger sanpera footswitch.

Or a mkiv or a evh iii or maybe a mini rec or xxx or jsx.

__________________
WTLT 2014 GG&A

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cathbard

See what I mean by, "they demonised it"? Tim's attitude is typical of what they did to everybody. The media drove that sort of Disney shit into everybody's brain. Only old farts like me missed it in our formative years.

So you post this asking us and zip claim you have your eye on something that you seem dead set on but haven't tried nor have you tried anything else in your price range. If you want to do you do and buy what, don't waste everyone's time.

You would likely be wayyy well off with a peavey vypyr 60 or 120 and the larger sanpera footswitch.

Or a mkiv or a evh iii or maybe a mini rec or xxx or jsx.

"I have my eye set on trying", not "I have my eye set on getting with no prior knowledge". I was looking for suggestions for amps, and people's suggestions led me to notice the hd147. I want to try as many amps that I can and not just blindly buy an amp without trying it. I also was asking and bringing up amps to see if anyone had any experiences with the amps I mentioned so I could get positive or negative feedback.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by willT08

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowSoonisNow

How was Confucius death metal?

You've clearly never read any Confuscius.

As I wait on the edge of the earth,
I can see the walls being torn down again
Only to be rebuilt in another name,
On a different day

"I have my eye set on trying", not "I have my eye set on getting with no prior knowledge". I was looking for suggestions for amps, and people's suggestions led me to notice the hd147. I want to try as many amps that I can and not just blindly buy an amp without trying it. I also was asking and bringing up amps to see if anyone had any experiences with the amps I mentioned so I could get positive or negative feedback.

Sorry for being slightly abrasive, but it really doesn't seem that you tried all that many amps, at least based on your post. You have probably been referred to 7 or 8 amps which are probably better options. I have played quite a few amps own quite a few. I have played a vetta, which is the hd147 is based. If you are stuck on the hd147,, get a vetta.

You would probably better with one of the aforementioned tube amps

__________________
WTLT 2014 GG&A

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cathbard

See what I mean by, "they demonised it"? Tim's attitude is typical of what they did to everybody. The media drove that sort of Disney shit into everybody's brain. Only old farts like me missed it in our formative years.

Sorry for being slightly abrasive, but it really doesn't seem that you tried all that many amps, at least based on your post. You have probably been referred to 7 or 8 amps which are probably better options. I have played quite a few amps own quite a few. I have played a vetta, which is the hd147 is based. If you are stuck on the hd147,, get a vetta.

You would probably better with one of the aforementioned tube amps

No problem. I'll check out vettas if anywhere I go to test amps has them available. Thanks for giving me another amp to try out, and the positive comment about the tube amps!

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by willT08

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowSoonisNow

How was Confucius death metal?

You've clearly never read any Confuscius.

As I wait on the edge of the earth,
I can see the walls being torn down again
Only to be rebuilt in another name,
On a different day